Hotel Urkin Piilopirtti

We only saw the art museum, but I’d happily visit it again. There’s a real mix of high-quality art, history, and more hands-on, DIY-style work, all tied together by a deep love of art. Jyrki Sasi, the CEO, landlord, and entrepreneur, clearly puts his whole heart into the place. The coffee was tasty, too… 😃

A comfortable, laid-back place for a short stay. The host made us feel welcome. I’d recommend it if you need somewhere to stay briefly.

The grounds were beautiful and very quiet, but other hotels in peaceful, scenic places would be a better choice. My main issue was the room itself. It was too cramped for two beds, which partly overlapped and knocked together whenever you turned over. Cleaning was poor enough that I had to wash the soles of my feet before getting into bed. Sleep was difficult for several reasons. The bright emergency exit sign above the door stayed on all night and lit up the whole room. There was no working air conditioning, and the control on the wall did nothing. The ventilation window couldn’t help either because its mosquito net was at least a couple of centimeters too short, and the exit light would have drawn mosquitoes inside. There were two soap dispensers in the bathroom, but one was empty and the other ran out after one use. Finding that late at night was frustrating. It seemed stingy not to refill one, especially without checking the other had enough. A hotel should let guests sleep, and this one seemed to do everything it could to stop that. Avoid it.

The art trail is on the grounds, and there’s even a smoke sauna by the shore. We were offered a morning sauna, but it didn’t work with our schedule. We’d first asked by phone about using one, though, and it seemed there might be no sauna when other customers were there. Breakfast was help yourself from the fridge, which was fine, more like something made at home. We were told that with other guests it would be served in a separate room, apparently at the hotel. The room was small and clean, but the layout felt odd, with the TV clearly on the wrong wall, and the mattresses were really soft. It’s an art gallery by the lake.